For the fourth time in five evenings, severe weather affected parts of the NWS Hastings coverage area on Wednesday, July 14, 2010. Although this round of storms was more widespread, the action mainly focused across eastern portions of the area, mainly along and east of a line from York to Red Cloud Nebraska, to Alton Kansas. The storms initiated during the oppressive heat and humidity of the late afternoon, along a well-defined cold front sinking south across the region.

Severe Weather:Here are a few "highlights" of the event, based on reports from storm spotters, local law enforcement/emergency management, and the public:

4-inch diameter tree limbs down, and power out in Alton Kansas around 620 PM.

68 MPH winds and tree damage reported by a storm chaser 15 miles south of Beloit Kansas at 808 PM.

3.60 inches of storm-total rainfall reported by a trained spotter in Waco Nebraska

The radar loop below, courtesy of the Iowa Environmental Mesonet (Iowa State University), depicts storms across southern NE and KS between 510pm-845pm, July 14, 2010.

- The NWS Hastings 30-county coverage area is depicted within the orange outlined area labeled "GID"

- Interstate Highways are depicted by the thick red and black lines

- The actual Severe Thunderstorm (yellow) warning polygons issued during the event are overlayed with the radar data. In addition, Preliminary local storm reports pop up on the image as small white triangles (for example, "Hail 1.5" indicates hail 1.5 inches in diameter).

CLICK HEREfor an "interactive" map of PRELIMINARY storm reports across the NWS Hastings coverage area. These same reports are also listed below:

Locally Heavy Rainfall:The graphic below depicts an approximation of 24-HOUR RAINFALL totals ending around 7 AM on the morning of July 15, 2010. Clearly, the heaviest rain focused along and east of a line from Alton Kansas to York Nebraska. A few of the highest known gauge readings within the area included:

3.60 inches at Waco Nebraska in eastern York County Nebraska (unofficial report from storm spotter)

2.62 inches three miles north of York Nebraska (NWS Cooperative Observer)

1.65 inches two miles southwest of Alton Kansas in Osborne County (NWS Cooperative Observer).